Clothes washing and wringing machine



Oct. A8, `1929. M. M. JACKSON l-:T AL

CLOTHES WASHING AND WBINGING MACHINE Filed Aug. 24, 1925 Patented Oct. 8, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT orifice MERLIN M. JACKSON, REUBEN WALGREN, AND ARTI-INR T. BRITTON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA; SAID JACKSON ASSIGNOR TO FRED HAMANN AND I. LANG,

BOTH OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA CLOTHES VASHING AND WRINGING MACHINE It is one obj ect of our invention to provide a combination washing machine and clothes wringer that may be readily mounted upon the edge of a wash tub or tray and rigidly supported thereon in a position to operate upon the contents et the tray.

It is another object ofthe invention to provide a machine of the character indicated wherein a single casting of novel form and construction is provided and adapted to be rigidly mounted upon the edge ot' the tray, this casting also functioning as a support for a clothes wringer, a housing for the wringer operating mechanism, and a housing for the mechanism operating the clothes manipulating element as well as a lubricating oil container and a support for the motor provided for operating the mechanisms. f

` It is still another object of the invention to provide a castingv of the character indicated supported upon two sides otl a tray and carr ing additional supporting means engageable with a third side of the tray.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and highly efficient lubricating means for the mechanism within the housings referred to without danger of the lubricant leaking out into the tray.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a simple wringer operating mechanism and a simple mechanism for operating the clothes manipulating element.

Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide a device ot the character indicated that will be simple in form, economical to manufacture, and highly eliicient in its practical application.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying our invention in an operative position on a Wash tray, parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is another perspective view of the device, parts being broken away.

Figure 3 isa longitudinal vertical section through that portion of the machine housing the operating mechanism.

Figure 4 is a plan view on line 1-4 of F igure .3. v

v after more clearly set Y Figure 5 is a detail section showing the mounting of the gear lock.

Figure 6 is a detail plan view of apart of' the mechanism provided for imparting an oscillating movement tothe clothes manipulating element.

Figure 7 is a detail section through a portion of the device showing the roller operatf ing mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, we show at 1 a casting having the following characteristics. l

It comprises, irst, a base plate 2 adapted to rest upon one wall as 3 of a wash tray t, and provided with a central upstanding web 5. One end of this plate carries a webG extending at right angles thereto and having a bottom plate 7 adapted to engage the tray wall 8 extending at right angles to wall 3. The casting is rigidly secured to wall 8 by clamps 9. Y

Extending at substantially right angles to base 2 and -from the end opposite to plate 7, is a hollow arm 10 terminating in an internally threaded portion 11 and having an annular chamber 12 formed therein adjacent to portion 11, the several parts being so proportioned and arranged as vto bring this chamber 12 over the center of the tray as shown in Figure 1. An opening 13 is lett in the bottom o1c thisv chamber, and its top is carried upwardly in the torni of a hollow truncated cone as indicated at 1/1. The chamber 12 is oiiseta distance from the longitudinal axis or" the arm 10 for the purpose hereinforth.

At 15 is an upstanding hollow cylinder having open communication with arm 10 at 16 and having an opening 17 in its lower end. A web 18 is formed in the cylinder at right angles to its vertical axis and this web is provided with a central opening 19. The lower side portion of the. cylinder is Isquared off at-L 20 and provided with an opening .21. Just below the upper edge ot cylinder 15 and on the 'side oppositev to hase plate 2 is formed a housing 22 communicating with the interior oi the cylinder at 23, and on the side toward base plate 2 and spaced a distance thereabove, is ormeda lug 24 drilled as at 25.

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nected to a link 31 which in turn is pivotally mounted ,on cap 26 as at 32, so that a move'- ment of the lever will raise or lower the rod Y as desired.

At 34 we show a hollenT shaft placed in cylinder and encompassing rod 29 and provided with a verticallyV arranged slot 35 through which rod 29 extends. Sha t 34 eX- ends downwardly through opening` 19 where it operates on bearings 36. Slidably mounted on shaft 34 is a sleeve 33, this sleeve being connected to rod 29 and having teeth 39 and Y 4() formed on the ends thereof.

Arranged in opposed. relation to each other andfreely revoluble on shaft'34 are pinions 37 and 38, engageable with sleeve 33 when the latter is moved upwardly or downwardly as the case may be. Engaging both of the pinions 37 and 38 is a gear 41, this gear interlocking with the spindle 42 on one end of roller 43 so that when shaft 34 is rotated the roller 43 may be revolved in one direction ,by moving sleeve 33 into engagement with the one pinion, and in the opposite` direction by moving the sleeve into engagement with the other pinion.

The wringer of which roller 43 forms a part is built up of a bracket 44 mounted on end web 6 and provided with a bearing 45 to receive the spindle 46 on the outer end of roller 43.

rlhe upper roller 47 of the wringer is revolubly mounted in a yoke 48 which is in turn rotatably mounted in bearing 49 in bracket 44 and bearing 50 on the cap 26. It is normally held against pivotal movement by a locking arm 51 pivoted on bracket 44 as at 52 and engaging a slot 53 in one end of the yoke 48.

Mounted upon the lower end of shaft 34 is a crank 54 the outer end of which is attached to a pitman 55. rThis pitman is preferably formed of a single bar of steel formed into a small loop 56 at one end to engage bolt 57 in the crank 54, and diverging toward the other end to forma semi-circular bearing end 58. At 59 is a rack having a semi-circular groove 60 formed therein to receive end 58 of pitman 55.

The rack 59 engages a segmental gear 61, the central portion of which is formed"v into an upstanding hollow truncated cone as shown at 62. At 63 is a square tube axially arranged in the conical part 62 of gear 61 and depending a distance therebelow.

The opening 13 in arm 10 is closed by means of a cap member 64 bolted thereon and carrying an upstanding portion 65 through which tube 63 passes and in which the said tube revolves, this part '65 forming an inner bearing for gear 61. By means of this'construction it is clear that the reciprocating rack 5,9 will impart an oscillating movement to the tube` 63 and to the b ar 66 slidably mounted therein and the disc 67 carried by bar 66 and functioning as a clothes manipulating element.

It is obvious from the. foregoing description that both the wringer and clothes manipulating element are operated through the rotation of shaft 34. To rotate this shaft we mount 'a gear 68 thereon which meshes with a worm gear 69 `mounted in housing 22 as shown, and driven by means of an electric motor 70 connected thereto by shaft 71. The

motor 79 is mounted on a bracket 72 bolted upon the squared portion 20 of cylinder 15.

A conduit 73 provided with a check valve 74 communicates with the interior of the cylinder 15 at its upper end as at 75, and with the opening 21 atits lower end as at 76.

Mounted upon rack 59 and forming an integral part thereof is a plunger 77 formed, proportioned and arranged to engage the end 76 of conduit 73 and thereby function as a pump lwhereby lubricating oil may be con-i stantly discharged into the upper portion of 'the cylinder 15 and all the working parts thoroughly lubricated.

The opening 17 in the lower end of cylinder 15 is closed by means of a plate 7 8 provided with spaced depending ears 79 adapted to engage wall 8 of the tray as shown.

Into the threaded end 1l of arm 10 is screwed a plug 8() or arm 81 having a shoulder 82 formed thereon and adapted to engage the wall 83 of the tray. If for any reason additional support for the arm 10 is desired the arm 81 may be substituted for the plug 80 and then the machine has a solid bearing upon three of the tray walls.

Assuming the machine to have been assembled as hereinbefore set forth, its operation isas follows.

he handle 30 is first so positioned that the sleeve 33 on rod 29 is midway between'.

the two pinions 37-38, and the motor is started.

The operation of the motor imparts a circular oscillating movement to the disc 67 through the medium'of the several parts 69, 68, 34, 54, 57, 55,59, 61, 62, 63 and 66, and at the same time the lubricating fluid is put into circulation by the operation of plunger 77 in the conduit 73.

If, now, it is desired to operate the Wringer by rotating the rollers 43-47 the handle 30 `is moved to throw the sleeve 33 into engagementwith the pinion 37 or 38 whereby to secure the desired operation of gear 41 to turn the said rollers in the desired direction.

Since the bracket 44 is removably bolted on the web 6 of the base plate it may be quickly placed in position or removed therefrom, and since it carries one end of the roller 43 and one end of yoke 48 these parts may be easily dropped into their respective bearings or removed therefrom making the manufacture and assembling of this part of the mechanism an exceedingly simple matter.

From the foregoing description it is clear that we have provided a machine that is exceptionally simple in construction and operation, consists of few parts easily and quickly assembled, compact, light and highly efficient in its practical application.

By means of the construction hereinbefore described the arm l0 is constantly filled with a lubricant and the parts working therein are at all times immersed in the lubricant without danger of any of it working out into the tray.

By operating the rack 59 as set forth it is reciprocated in a straight line and consequently it may be used to operate the pump plunger rod 77, both the plunger rod 77 and the rack 59 being incorporated in the yone element.

The mechanism provided for operating the rollers 43 and 47 of the Wringer is an important feature of the present invention.

By providing the machanism disclosed the two pinions 237-38 may be mounted on shaft 34 without special formations, such as projecting lugs or ears, of any kind. The teeth are left as cast or machined, running down to the central hole as clearly shown in Figure 5. The sleeve 33 having teeth 39*40 on its ends readily engages the pinions 37-38 when moved up or down, the engagement being smooth and positive.

Ve claim zy In a machine of the character described, a hollow arm adapted to hold a lubricating fluid and having a rack operatively mounted to reciprocate therein, and a gear mounted therein to mesh with the rack, the said gear having its central portion formed into an upstanding hollow truncated portion, the said arm having an opening formed therein beneath the gear and having an upstanding portion formed thereon to provide a bearing for the upstanding portion of the gear, and a closure for the opening' comprising a cap member provided with an upstanding portion adapted to form an inner bearing for the gear, and a driving tube axially mounted in the upstanding portion of the gear and eX- tending downwardly through the cap member.

MERLIN M. JACKSON. ARTHUR T. BRITTON. REUBEN WTALGREN. 

